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Avoiding Bias in Software Job Ads

Aug 11th, 2013

Many technology businesses are trying to do the right thing by hiring for
diversity. I’ve seen a few examples of job ads from companies who clearly have
so little experience writing job ads, or spend so little time thinking about
what the ad is saying, that they end up offending their target readership.

If you want to attract the right people to your business, you have to be the
kind of business that those people would be proud to work for. Attention to
detail in a job ad, especially in software development, is at least as
important as attention to detail in a CV/resume. It’s important to pay
attention to gender, sexual orientation, and culture in your job description.

Fill your ad full of detail, but keep it neutral.

You want to have an ad that gives all the important details about your company
and about the available position. To keep this brief, I am going to assume that
you have spent loads of time making sure the work environment is someplace
people want to be. You will want to tell potential hires about the things that
make your company special. Spend some time talking about culture.

Also take the time to write about the kind of person you see in the position
you’d like to fill. What sort of personality would best fit your company? What
kind of approach to problem-solving would be the best fit for your team? If
your team spend time together outside of work, talk about it. Talk about your
product or your clients. The important thing is to provide plenty of detail
about who you are, where you would like to be, and who you think could help you
get there. You may overlook some details, but if you describe your needs
accurately, the right person may just figure out what is missing and fill in
the gaps.

If you are already using a particular software stack, then certainly mention
it, but no one wants to read a list of technologies packaged as a job ad. If
your goal is to solve a problem, then describe your problem and let the experts
figure out whether they are a good match.

The same rule also applies to other aspects of the person you want to hire.
Keep your ad neutral by avoiding bias and the best applicants will select
themselves.

Avoid gender bias.

Specifying gender in your job ad is tantamount to specifying race, age, or
religion in your ad, and should be avoided at all costs. There is practically
no way you can write a gender-specific job ad without stereotyping people, so
this practice is best avoided.

Don’t assume things about your target readership. For example, talking about
someone’s girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or wife is a big no-no unless you
include every permutation and give them all equal billing in your ad (or resort
to “spouse” or “partner”). Since that can end up being unreadable, I suggest
you keep the ad copy gender-neutral.

It’s also worth noting that gender is a very fuzzy concept and cannot be
determined by biology. Many of us have put our foot in it at some point in
interviews with people who present (to us) as one gender, but identify as
another. The best rule I can think of for avoiding embarrassment is to look at
how the applicants refer to themselves and use their own terms when talking
about them. Fortunately for hiring managers, people with non-obvious gender
identity are used to people struggling a bit, so any effort tends to be
appreciated.

Be aware of cultural bias, especially in religious traditions.

What is normal for you may not be normal for someone else. You can expect
people to adapt to many things to fit in, but religious traditions involve
fundamental beliefs and should be respected. Among other things, these
traditions affect how people dress, what they eat, and their need for personal
time during the day and evenings and weekends.

For example, don’t assume that everyone considers the consumption of alcohol to
be a bonus. The “fridge fully stocked with beer” line may be entirely
appropriate to my culture (and socialisation), but every time I read it, I
cringe inwardly on behalf of the vast numbers of people who find the notion
unwelcoming or offensive.

Avoid language bias.

Being too specific about language can appear unwelcoming for people who are not
native to your area. Advertise native proficiency in a language only when it’s
really required by the job: “good” or “very good” is usually enough. If
language is going to be a problem, it will become evident in your communication
during the application process.

Let’s not talk about sex (in professional settings).

Finally, assuming things about the reader’s sexual orientation should be
avoided at all costs, and any discussion of sexual orientation or preference
should be avoided. I have seen very few job descriptions where sexual
preference was at all relevant, and you’ll probably know if the position you’re
advertising is the exception.

Let me know what you think!

I’d love to hear about your experiences reading and writing job ads. Do you
think these criteria cover enough cases, or is something missing? Maybe my list
is too long? Please let me know what you think by commenting below.